Riverview church vandalized with swastikas, racist graffiti

RIVERVIEW (FOX 13) - Volunteers are scrubbing and cleaning Thursday morning after vandals spray painted offensive graffiti on the walls of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Riverview.

Swastikas, upside-down crosses, pentagrams and racial slurs were what Pastor Kevin Yoakum and his young daughter woke up to Wednesday.

Thanks to volunteers and a heavy-duty power washer, most of the hateful graffiti has been erased.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office rapid-response team responded to the scene off Big Bend Road and is painting over the remaining graffiti.

Pastor Yoakum told FOX 13, “Everybody’s been just great about offering their support, assuring us that they’re praying for us. Somebody also said, “I’ll be praying for the vandals too, because they’re gonna need more help than you.”

As work continues to erase the hateful messages, HCSO is searching for the vandals who did it. Anyone with information should call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200.